The present invention relates generally to automotive vehicles. More particularly, it relates to an arrangement for an automobile body and chassis which is particularly adapted for use as a light truck.
Many arrangements for passenger car and light truck (e.g. pickup truck) body and chassis components are known, and they fall generally into three broad categories. The first category features an engine mounted in the front portion of the vehicle and utilizes either front or rear wheel drive. The second category has a rear mounted engine and almost always has rear wheel drive. The third category has an engine mounted approximately in the middle of the car and may have rear wheel or all wheel drive. This particular layout is usually reserved for high performance sports cars do to its near perfect weight distribution. The overwhelming majority of automobiles on the road today fall into one of these three broad categories, with pickup trucks almost always having front engine layouts. While these arrangements are generally satisfactory for performing the basic function of transportation, there are some drawbacks to the front engine layout, especially as applied to a pickup truck.
The first drawback is that the weight distribution in a pickup truck is very heavily weighted towards the front of the vehicle. This weight distribution in combination with the high center of gravity inherent in such vehicles produces the handling characteristics which are predictably quite poor. Indeed, there are many devices available for lining the bed of a pickup truck so as to improve weight distribution and traction when the truck bed is empty.
The second drawback is that there is typically no covered storage space for a pickup truck. There are several ways to combat the storage problem, most of which compromise the utility of the open truck bed. For example, locking tool boxes have to be removed when a large load is to be transported. Truck bed covers are often inconvenient as they are not typically removable and do not allow for the loading of large bulky loads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,399 issued to Ito et al. discloses a body structure for a vehicle. The engine is disposed beneath the seats, and access to the engine can only be gained by folding one of the seats along a fold line thereby opening an access hole provided in the vehicle body. While this arrangement does depart substantially from the prior art arrangements, it is not without its own drawbacks. First, the engine is accessible only through a single access hole making repairs of certain components extremely difficult and time consuming. Also, the access hole is directly under a passenger seat and serves to conduct heat to that area of the cabin. Finally, at least one of the seats must be removed in order to access and service the engine, forcing perhaps one or more passengers to leave the vehicle for servicing. By contrast, the present invention provides an alternative layout for an automotive vehicle, in particular a pickup truck. The engine is disposed on one side of the vehicle while the passenger compartment is on the opposite side of the vehicle. The drive train and other components may be shifted in order to adjust the weight distribution. Access to the engine is via an upward lifting lid which may optionally be configured to be disposable within a recess in the vehicle body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,895 issued to Eggert, Jr. discloses another vehicle having a somewhat unconventional arrangement. The vehicle has both front and rear storage compartments. The rear portion of the body structure contains the engine, which is disposed over the wheel housings. The wheel housings are displaced from their optimal positions in order to accommodate the rear seats. The present invention contemplates a structure for a vehicle which may have front and rear storage compartments, but the engine is disposed on one side of the vehicle. The wheel housings are positioned as in the conventional arrangements in order to preserve symmetry and to maintain the best possible weight distribution.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an arrangement for an automobile body and chassis which has optimal weight distribution. The arrangement features a passenger compartment arranged beside the engine compartment, allowing for storage compartments in both the front and rear portions of the vehicle structure. A upward opening hood is positioned over the engine compartment, the hood being stowable within a recess in the vehicle body. In order to streamline the engine compartment and maximize the lateral displacement of the passenger compartment, the engine is either of the in-line, slant, or slant-V configuration. The seats contained in the passenger compartment are arranged from the front to the rear of the vehicle, with the driver""s seat placed in front of the passenger""s seat. An infant seat may be placed on the wall separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment, adjacent either the passenger seat or the driver""s seat.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an arrangement for a pickup truck which has advantages over the conventional front engine rear drive configurations.
It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for an automobile body and chassis having a centrally located engine in order to improve weight distribution and handling characteristics.
It is another object of the invention to provide an arrangement for an automobile body where the engine accessibility is enhanced by a stow away hood mechanism.
It is another object of the invention to provide an arrangement for a pickup truck having more storage space than a conventional pickup truck of approximately the same wheelbase.
It is another object of the invention to provide an arrangement for an automobile body where the body has at least two access panels for accessing the engine compartment.
Finally, it is a general object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.